Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers Prince Albert

Hate speech, stigma, discrimination and xenophobia have been on the rise as a result of #COVID19. We must work together to #StandUp4HumanRights and all forms of racism, discrimination and hatred.

At the intersections of gender-based violence and HIV, women and girls are disproportionately affected. Inequalities and violence against women and girls are di...rectly linked to rising rates of HIV transmission and UNAIDS recently reported that in sub-Saharan Africa there are 600 new transmissions of HIV among adolescent girls every day. Partners of The Stephen Lewis Foundation deliver interventions that assist women and girls to enact their human right to take control of their sexual and reproductive health and lives, prevent HIV transmission, and live free from violence. These expert organizations provide holistic care, conduct outreach to raise awareness and prevent further violence, seek justice, and restore dignity and hope to survivors. For more on SLF partners’ key areas of work visit: https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/areas-of-work/ See more

On March 18, Thursday (8 am EDT), Idah Mukuka Nambeya, Senior Advisor to the SLF's Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign will be participating as a panelist at ...the launch of the UN #GlobalReportOnAgeism. Hear Idah speak about the response of grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa to stigma, discrimination and the challenges of ageism within the context of HIV and AIDS by signing up for this online event: http://bit.ly/ageismreport #AWorld4AllAges

We are not here for pity nor favours, we are here to claim our human rights, South African grandmothers declared as a collective at a gathering in Durban in 2...016. When AIDS left millions of young people without parents or primary caregivers, it was grandmothers who filled the gap to ensure these children would have strong advocates to support their transition into adulthood. Fifteen years ago, grandmothers in Canada rallied to espouse the power of women supporting women, founding the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. The Campaign has since grown into an international movement, grounded in collective action and solidarity. This movement redefines and challenges how the world sees older women around the world. Grandmothers in communities across sub-Saharan Africa are restoring hope and nurturing resiliency while they mobilize and advocate for their rights and a more just future for themselves and their grandchildren. Grandmothers in Canada, Australia, the UK, the USA raise funds and awareness. Today, they are the backbone of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF), serving with fortitude and tenacity in the spirit of sisterhood and solidarity. Every dollar you donate to the Stephen Lewis Foundation is an investment in the international movement to change the narrative, to foster equality for women and girls, to stamp down systemic barriers that leave populations vulnerable to the ravages of diseases like AIDS and COVID-19. Your support helps to tip the balance of power towards a people-centred, asset-based, community-led approach to influencing policy and change. We have come so far. The movement is strong and momentum is building. Grandmothers have taken a stand. Young women are leading and demonstrating innovative and bold new ideas that challenge the status quo. And, the SLF’s commitment to convening, facilitating and leading alongside these women remains constant and strong. We need you to act with us. Until there is equality and justice, we need your voice. Will you invest in making a difference today and every day? Give monthly: https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/monthly #IWD2021 #IWDSLF

I strive for excellence as a result of past experience, says Peninah Mwangi, the Executive Director of Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (BHESP). ...I have faced violence, stigma, discrimination and poverty as a young woman on the margins of society, thus I identify with all the women in our BHESP family. I am also a single mother and realize that as women we have to fight harder and smarter to achieve what others get easily. Peninah has been leading BHESP in various capacities for the last twenty years. By leading sex workers and sexual minority women, I was responding to a need from women who were not considered by the mainstream women’s movements. I was also responding to human rights violations from these marginalized women of whom I am a part of. Peninah has been able to influence funding and other support for programs for sex workers both locally and internationally. Her efforts, alongside that of others, have supported over 100,000 sex workers and minority women in Kenya. She helped set up the first violence response mechanism, as well as the first alternative dispute resolution, for sex workers in Kenya. She also established the first advocacy and human rights program, and trained the first sex workers as paralegal officers. Women's rights activism requires that I remain part of the movement, that I stay connected and play my individual part as my contribution to the greater good. Peninah is a human rights defender whose enthusiasm, energy and motivation seem to have no limits. I am inspired by the dreams of millions of young women and their desire to make it against all odds. Also, I am inspired by the women who came before me, applied excellence, gave their all, risked everything to make the big impact that we enjoy today. Visit https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/monthly to make a monthly gift in honour of a woman who inspires you. With continuous and sustained funding, community leaders can respond quickly when urgent needs arise and invest in long-term solutions that restore well-being, health and hope. #IWDSLF #IWD2021